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Jo Welch

James Rosenberg

English 101: College Composition

30 January 2024

Rhetorical Analysis of Kate Beispel’s: “The Snacktivities and Musings of a Millennial

Foodie”

The next time you walk into a café or a restaurant, take a moment to just look

around. There is a good chance that you will see a person who is trying to take a picture

of their meal, and holding themselves back from digging in before the “gram-worthy”

picture is captured. And in a few minutes, once your food arrives, you might find yourself

doing the same. Congratulations, you’re a foodie, and you’re not alone.

In her article, “The Snacktivities and Musings of a Millennial Foodie,” Kate

Beispel observes the rise of the millennial food enthusiasts known as “foodies.” She

argues, with her tactful use of connotative diction, that they are more than simply people

who love good food. Beispel emphasizes the strong correlation between millennials and

foodies and asserts that foodies are “self-proclaimed food critics” (Beispel 351). Her

diction here, coupled with the help of a humorous personal anecdote, helps to prove to

her audience that though some foodies may understand the food industry, it isn’t nearly as

much as they pretend they do.

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Moreover, she compares the current generation to the older, gourmet generation.

She claims that being a foodie is not limited to expensive dining in fancy restaurants, but

that it is simply a lifestyle. Beispel analyzes the role that the increase in access to

technology and social networking has had on foodie culture and speaks about the

difference that this global connectivity has made. She states that, though this content may

seem odd and intended to be consumed in a more comical sense, the obsession

millennials have with food has the ability to drive forward social phenomena and it

indeed has been doing so. She proves this by adopting the younger generation’s

vernacular in stating: “the power of the Millennial foodies is real” (Beispel 356).

Beispel informs the audience that foodie culture as a movement has had real life

effects. Beispel speaks on this by discussing how “this food obsessed species has the

ability to drive society in powerful directions” (Beispel 356). She proves that this culture

has driven the younger generations and many others as well to reflect on what we eat.

This is indirectly linked with how access to technology and global connectivity has led

the Millennial generation to be more informed about global and current issues. The

industry has realized that millennials are careful about what they spend their money on

and thus it has been undergoing a positive change. When people see these changes, they

immediately hop onto their social network sites to talk about it. It's true, what Beispel

spoke about millennial foodies being great unpaid advertising, but they are also activists.

Although, in the past, this effect was not so easily, quickly, and widely achieved: largely

due to how limited technology is, and because people were not aware of such things. This
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food obsession can be used to tackle even bigger issues than just maintaining a healthy

diet.

Foodie culture is very real and it's only progressing forward and growing to be

more accepted. As with all things, there will always be critics, but Beispel proves that

there have been significant advantages brought on by this growing culture, with her

strong utilization of connotative diction. Foodies are not restricted to advocate for

delicious food, but have grown towards becoming advocates for larger issues and making

real life impacts. It's an exciting time where one’s love of food is collectively shared

across the world, but it also brings about positive changes and prompts us to be more

informed individuals.